Apparatus for folding flexible sheet

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for folding a belt-like flexible sheet comprises a feeder for downwardly feeding said flexible sheet, a plurality of sheet-hanging members, an actuator for reciprocatingly moving one of said sheet-hanging members across a vertical plane along which the flexible sheet is fed so that the sheet is folded in zigzag with the folded portions thereof supported to the sheet-hanging member at the central position of a folding span, means for successively taking out the sheet-hanging member together with a prescribed fold unit of the flexible sheet from an area in which the actuator is operated, and means for supplying another sheethanging member into said area when it is vacant.

United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,734,372 Ebisu 1 May 22, 1973 1 APPARATUS FOR FOLDING FLEXIBLE 3,355,164 1111967 Stulman ..27o/19 SHEET 3,591,166 7/1971 Ebisu ..270/79 Inventor: Takeshi Ebisu, Matsubara-Kudaru Manahon-Bushi, Kyoto, Japan Filed: Nov. 29, 1971 Appl. No.: 202,818

Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 30, 1970 Japan ..45/l06191 Nov. 30, 1970 Japan ..45/l06l92 Dec. 29, 1970 Japan ..45/l258l6 Mar. 16, 1971 Japan 46/1 1287 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1927 Nanterme ..270/79 Primary Examiner-Allen N. Knowles Attorney-Ernest G. Montague [57] ABSTRACT An apparatus for folding a belt-like flexible sheet comprises a feeder for downwardly feeding said flexible sheet, a plurality of sheet-hanging members, an actuator for reciprocatingly moving one of said sheet-hanging members across a vertical plane along which the flexible sheet is fed so that the sheet is folded in zigzag with the folded portions thereof supported to the sheet-hanging member at the central position of a folding span, means for successively taking out the sheet-hanging member together with a prescribed fold unit of the flexible sheet from an area in which the actuator is operated, and means for supplying another sheet-hanging member into said area when it is vacant.

13 Claims, 21 Drawing Figures PATENTEUIMYZZIQIS 3.734372 sum 01 0F 17 PATENIEB M122 I975 SHEET 030F17 PATENTEW 3,734,372

saw on Of 17 PAIENIEM 3.734.372

SHEET 07 0F 17 PAIENIE m 2 2191s SHEET 08 0F 17 PATENIEDWZ'W 3.734.372

sum 10 0F 17 PAIENIEW 3,734,372

SHEET 110F 17 PATENIED W 2 2 FIGJG PATENTEBIAYZZIBH 3 734,372

SHEET 16 0F 17 PATENTEDmzzma sum 170F17 APPARATUS FOR FOLDING FLEXIBLE SHEET DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an apparatus for folding a belt-like flexible sheet by a prescribed length in an alternate direction, and more particularly concerns in an apparatus for folding a belt-like flexible sheet in continuous operation without creating creases at turned portions of said sheet.

Said folding apparatus is mainly used in folding a sheet of woven materials such as silk, cotton and wool. In that case where a belt-like woven fabric sheet directly carried from a machine such as an automatic loom and drier is folded in zigzag by prescribed length, said woven fabric sheet should be successively divided into a plurality of mutually continuous fold units without creases creating in the fabric sheet.

An object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for folding a belt-like flexible sheet which makes said sheet divided into fold units with said sheet multihanging by a desired length on a successive one of sheet-hanging member intermittently supplied into an area in which said flexible sheet is continuously folded in zigzag.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for folding a belt-like flexible sheet improved by means for synchronizing the motion of an actuator for reciprocating the sheet-hanging member in accordance with the feeding length of the flexible sheet from a feeder.

A further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for folding a belt-like flexible sheet improved by means for taking out the sheet-hanging member with a fold unit of the flexible sheet from an area in which the actuator travels in an alternate direction so as to reciprocate the sheet-hanging member and means for supplying another sheet-hanging member after the successive one is carried away from said area, both means being operated with relation to the movement of the actuator in a determined time order.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for continuously folding a belt-like flexible sheet improved by the actuator involving means for eliminating a static charge generated in the portions of the sheet which are being folded with their portions multi-hanging on the sheet-hanging member in zigzag.

The feature of this invention will be understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGS. la and lb are perspective views of an apparatus for folding a belt-like flexible sheet embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the folding apparatus of FIGS. 1a and 1b in which essential parts of the apparatus are indicated by cross-sections;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a power transmission system involved in the folding apparatus mentioned above;

FIGS. 4 to 7 are perspective views of parts of the power transmission system partly broken away;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of means for supplying a sheet-hanging member involved in the folding apparatus;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of means for taking out the sheet-hanging member with the fold unit of the flexible sheet;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a device for depressing the folded portions of the flexible sheet to the sheethanging member;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an actuator involved in the folding apparatus;

FIG. 12 is a diagramatic view of a circuit for controling the folding apparatus in a determined time schedule;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 14 is a side view of said embodiment of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 16 is a side view of said embodiment of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view ofa speed changing device involved in the folding apparatus of FIGS. 15 and 16;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of another embodiment modified from that of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional side view of means for downwardly moving a copper plate modified from that indicated in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional side view of another embodiment modified from that of FIG. 19.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 12, there is provided an apparatus for folding a bolt-like flexible sheet A such as a woven material of silk, cotton or wool.

Essential parts of said folding apparatus consist of a feeder having a pair of rollers 110a and 110b, through the interval or clearance of which is downwardly fed a flexible sheet A to be folded, an area B defined under said feeder 110 and in which said flexible sheet A is folded in zigzag by a prescribed length L, a plurality of sheet-hanging members C1, C2, Cn for holding the folded portions of said flexible sheet, an actuator for reciprocating one of said sheet-hanging members horizontally in said area B, a device for guiding the lowering portion of said flexible sheet A from said feeder 110 in a direction opposite to that in which the actuator 120 travels, and a pair of members a and 14012 for depressing the folded portions of said flexible sheet to the sheet-hanging member which is being reciprocated in said area B.

In addition to the above-mentioned parts, said folding apparatus involves means for taking out the sheet-hanging member with the folded portions of said flexible sheet from one end of a stroke S by which said actuator 120 is reciprocated in said area, and means for supplying another sheet-hanging member to the other end of said stroke as the area is vacant.

Each of the sheet hanging members comprises a barmember having small diameter portions 171 formed at both ends thereof.

Said actuator 120 involves a U-shaped supporting member 121 having left and right side columns 121a and a beam 121b, which bridges the lower end portions of said columns 121a and has a slide slit 1210 formed along the length thereof, and a pair of solenoid devices 122 each attached to the upper portions of said columns 121a in a manner to face one another.

Said actuator 120 further comprises four couples of reciprocating assemblies 123 comprises a first arm member 123a, a second arm member 123b, a counter shaft 1230 and three gears 123d, 1232 and l23f.

At one end portion of the first arm member 1230 is formed a boss 123g rotatably fitted with said counter shaft 1230. One 123d of the gears is fixed to said counter shaft 123C and intermeshed with another gear 123e rotatably supported to a pivot 123h attached to the middle portion of the first arm member 123a. To one end portion of the second arm member is fixedly attached a pivot 1231' to which the other end portion of the first arm member 123a is connected, and to which is fixedly secured the gear 123fintermeshed to the gear 123e.

Said solenoid device 122 is supported to the other end portion of the second arm member 123b, and has a solenoid body 122b containing an energizing coil not shown and rotatable round an axis, which is defined at a point far from the pivot 123i by the same distance as that measured from the pivot 123i to the axis of the counter shaft 1230, and a rod 122a with a clamping head l22c retractable into said solenoid body 122b.

Accordingly, the solenoid device 122 can travels along a horizontal line across the center of the counter shaft 1230 in an alternate direction when the first arm member is rotated by means which is described hereinafter. In order to move the solenoid device 122 in a straight line, the diameter of the gear 123d should be twice that of the gear 123f.

A sprocket wheel 125 is attached to the boss 123g of the first arm member 123a, and then an endless sprocket chain 1250 is stretched between the sprocket wheel involved in the upper one of the reciprocating assemblies 123, and the sprocket wheel involved in the lower one of the reciprocating assemblies 123 disposed at the same side of the area B as the former.

To each of the bosses 123g of the first arm members 123a involved in the upper reciprocating assemblies 123 disposed at both sides of the area B, is fixedly attached a gear 126 associated via a counter gear 126a with a gear 181a fixed to a driving shaft 181 involved in a transmission system 180, which will be detailed hereinafter.

Said transmission system further involves a power transmission shaft 182 journaled by bearings to a frame 190 in parallel to the driving shaft 181 which also is journaled to said frame 190, and speed changing shafts 183 and 184 which are axially connected to each other via a one-rotation clutch 191 (this has conventionally been known as a device operated in such a manner that when an input signal is applied to said device, an input shaft is connected to an output shaft and maintained in said connection only during one rotation of said shafts).

In this embodiment, there is provided an electric motor 185 having a power take off shaft 185a to which is attached a pulley 185b. Said pulley 185b is involved in a belt-transmission system further comprising a pulley 1850 and an endless belt 185d stretched between the pulleys l85b and 1850. Said pulley 1850 is attached to the input shaft of a clutch 192, the output shaft of which has a driving pulley l85e.

Between the driving pulley 1850 and a driven pulley 185f attached to the power transmission shaft 182 is stretched an endless belt 185g.

The rollers 110a and 110b are rotatably supported by bearings to the shafts 181 and 182 respectively. To a trunnion 1100 formed at the end of the roller 110a, a sprocket wheel 186a and a gear 186b are attached. Between the sprocket wheel 186a and a sprocket wheel 1860 secured to the power transmission shaft 182, is stretched an endless sprocket chain 186d. In this case, the wheel 1860 has a circular pitch diameter twice that of the wheel 186a. Said gear 186!) is intermeshed with a gear 1860 having a circular pitch diameter of three and half times that of the gear l86b and attached to a shaft 186frotatably supported by bearings to the frame 190. A sprocket wheel 136g is attached to said shaft 186f, a sprocket wheel 186k attached to said speed changing shaft 183, and an endless sprocket chain 186i stretched between the sprocket wheels 186g and 186k. In this case, the wheel 186k has a diameter of three times that of the wheel 186g.

In this embodiment, in order to transmit a main power to the actuator 120, there are provided a chain transmission system involving a driving sprocket wheel 187a attached to the shaft 182, a driven sprocket wheel 187b rotatably supported to the shaft 181, said driven sprocket wheel 187b being involved in a differential gear system 193, and an endless sprocket chain 1870 stretched between said wheels 187a and 187b. In this case, the driven sprocket wheel 187b has a circular pitch diameter twice that of the driving sprocket wheel 187a.

Said differential gear system 193 involves an input bevel gears 193a rotatably supported to the shaft 181, an output bevel gear 193k secured to the shaft 181, a large diameter spur gear 1930 rotatably supported to the shaft 181, a plurality of plantary bevel gears 193d journaled to the internal portion of the spur gear 1930 and intermeshed with the gears 193a and 193b.

In order to transmit a separate power to said differential gear system 194, there are provided a driving Zeneba gear wheel 194a attached to the shaft 184 and having an engaging pin 194b and a circular guide protrusion 1940 formed at the surface of a disc body 194d; a driven Zeneba gear wheel 194e which has a gear body l94f, four radial grooves 194g formed in the body 194f in a manner to be spaced with each other in an equal angle, i.e., a right angle and four circular guide grooves 194k capable of sliding on the periphery of the circular guide protrusion 1940; a sprocket wheel 194i attached to a journaled shaft 194j to which is secured said driven Zeneba gear wheel 194e, a sprocket wheel 194k attached to a journaled shaft 1941 and associated with the sprocket wheel 194i by an endless sprocket chain 194m stretched between said wheels 194i and 194k; and a spur gear 194n secured to said journaled shaft 194k and intermeshed with the large diameter spur gear 1930. Said wheel 194k has a diameter of twice that of the wheel 194i, and the gear 194n has a diameter of three tenth times that of the gear 1930.

Accordingly, when the one-rotation clutch 191 is closed into an engaged position by a signal, the first the pin 194b (this is previously placed at a starting position) is instantly engaged with one of the grooves 194g so as to cause the driven Zeneva gear wheel 194e to be rotated by one third rotation of said shaft 184, and then the pin 194b is disengaged from said groove 194g and simultaneously one of the circular grooves 194k begins to slide on the periphery of the protrusion 1940 and maintains said sliding until the clutch 191 is opened to a disengaged position by a rotation of the shaft 183 or 184.

During a seven tenth rotation of the sprocket wheel 187b, i.e., a first one third rotation of the shaft 184, the shaft 181 is driven for a rotation through the differential gear system, so as to cause the first arm members 123a of the actuator to be rotated by a quick speed. 

1. An apparatus for folding a belt-like flexible sheet comprising a feeder having a pair of rollers, through the interval of which is downwardly fed said flexible sheet, an area defined under said feeder and in which said flexible sheet is folded in zigzag by a prescribed length, a plurality of sheethanging members for holding the folded portions of said flexible sheet, an actuator for reciprocating one of said sheet-hanging members horizontally in said area, a device for guiding the lowering portion of said flexible sheet from said feeder in a direction opposite to that in which the actuator travels, a pair of members for depressing the folded portions of said flexible sheet to the sheet-hanging member which is being reciprocated in said area, means for taking out the sheet-hanging member with the folded portions of said flexible sheet from one end of a stroke by which said actuator is reciprocated in said area, and means for supplying another sheet-hanging member to the other end of said stroke as the area is vacant.
 2. An apparatus for folding a belt-like flexible sheet claimed in claim 1 in which there is provided a power transmission system for syncronizing the motion of said actuator for reciprocating the sheet-hanging member in accordance with the feeding length from said feeder.
 3. An apparatus for folding a belt-like flexible sheet claimed in claim 1 in which said actuator comprises a supporting member having left and right side columns, and a plurality of reciprocating assemblies for linearly reciprocating said supporting member in said area, as well as means for supporting the sheet-hanging member to said supporting member columns.
 4. An apparatus for folding a belt-like flexible sheet claimed in claim 3 in which said means for supporting the sheet-hanging member to said supporting member columns are solenoid devices each having a retractable rod with a clamping head.
 5. An apparatus for folding a belt-like flexible sheet claimed in claim 3 in which said supporting member is shaped into a U-letter by having a cross beam which bridges the lower end portions of said columns, and said actuator is provided with means for eliminating static charge generated to the folded portions of the flexible sheet supported to the sheet-hanging member by the frictional slipping of the folded layers of the flexible sheet to the portion thereof which is being lowered in the area.
 6. An apparatus for folding a belt-like flexible sheet claimed in claim 5 in which said eliminating means comprises a rectangle plate-shaped hollow member having a yoke, copper plates attached to the front and rear portions of said yoke so as to form a hollow portions in said member, and means for vertically moving said member, said moving means partly disposed in said hollow portions.
 7. An apparatus for folding a belt-like flexible sheet claimed in claim 5 in which said eliminating means comprises a rectangle copper plate member slidably supported to said columns by the bias of springs, and means for downwardly pulling said plate member against said spring bias.
 8. An apparatus for folding a belt-like flexible sheet claimed in claim 5 in which said eliminating means comprises a recTangle copper plate member swingably supported to the lower portions of said columns by bias of springs, and means for downwardly turning said plate member against said spring bias.
 9. An apparatus for folding a belt-like flexible sheet claimed in claim 3 in which each of said sheet-hanging members involves a copper plate member for eliminating static charge generated to the folded portions of the flexible sheet supported to the sheet-hanging member by the frictional slipping of the folded layers of the flexible sheet to the portion thereof which is being lowered in the area.
 10. An apparatus for folding a belt-like flexible sheet claimed in claim 2 in which said taking out and supplying means both are operated with relation to the movement of the actuator in a determined time order by a control-power transmission system for partly transmitting a power rotation from said power transmission system to both means via a clutch device.
 11. An apparatus for folding a belt-like flexible sheet claimed in claim 2 in which said taking out said supplying means both are combined with said actuator which comprises reciprocating assemblies having a first arm member swingable by a determined angle, and a second arm member linked with said first arm member, and means for swinging said first arm member over said determined angle when the sheet-hanging member is changed, so as to cause the stroke of the reciprocation of said sheet-hanging member to extend over the length of said area.
 12. An apparatus for folding a belt-like flexible sheet claimed in claim 2 in which there is provided means for changing the reciprocating cycle of said sheet-hanging member when said sheet-hanging member is replaced by another one.
 13. An apparatus for folding a belt-like flexible sheet claimed in claim 12 in which there is provided means for changing the reciprocating cycle of said sheet-hanging member when said sheet-hanging member is replaced by another one. 